Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Sixth is a Magic number
Settle the debate… best player available or position?
Doyle: Best player available no question. Does Orlando have answers anywhere on the floor? They are desperate for talent. I do not care if a fit might be awkward at first, the Magic need talent at any position. I like Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac, but aside from them, are there any building blocks on the roster? Selecting the best player has to be the Magic’s philosophy in upcoming drafts.
Henderson: Michael Porter Jr. is the best player in the draft and it might not be close. First of all, he is only 19 years old and stands 6-foot-10 with a pull-up jumper and his confidence is through the roof. And he may grow another inch or two. According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, he has already called out the players projected to be selected in front of him and says he is the best player in the Draft. That kind of swag is what the Magic need leading their young core. If he falls to six, the Magic probably would pass on him for someone who will not be as good as him, judging by the last five years in the draft.
Rossman-Reich: Best player. The Orlando Magic simply have too many needs to be too concerned with a specific position. Outside of the forward positions (Aaron Gordon decision pending), the team needs to upgrade everywhere. The Magic have to remake their team and finding a player they can build around is paramount. Even Jonathan Isaac does not seem like a central rebuild piece. But it would be fine if the player they draft complements Isaac in some way. That will, of course, be pretty tough to do. This high in the draft, I always say take the best player available. You do not want to miss on a supposed star because you are playing it safe or too afraid to take a little bit of a swing.
Scricca: Both have to be factored in. The player has to fit within some kind of vision for the team and cannot obstruct or be obstructed by Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac’s development. Ideally, a coach will be hired by then so we (and the front office) will have a pretty good idea of what this next Magic team could look like stylistically. That infrastructure will impact the type of players and talents this franchise will be able to maximize.
Racine: The Magic have to draft the best player available instead of by position only if Michael Porter Jr is available at sixth. He is a potential go-to scorer and the Magic need one. He has too much upside to pass up. Also, rookie Jonathan Isaac does not quite have a position yet. He can develop into a 5 and the Magic can play Michael Porter alongside him and Aaron Gordon.
Palmer: I think that both of these things must be considered. Listen, if somebody who is left on your board is a vastly superior player to the next guy on board at a position of need, you absolutely take the best player available. But if you have got two guys that are touching tags as far as grades are concerned then take the position of need. I am of the opinion that being a good fit allows for superior development and typically maximizes potential far better than having a guy get 15 minutes per game off the bench.
Flynn: Best player with an asterisk. The Magic do not have any surefire future All-Stars on their team, so nothing should be out of the question when drafting. I think the Magic need to consider the NBA’s future and how the style of the game is changing with every pick they make. For example, as Mohamed Bamba continues to move up draft boards, the Magic should be analyzing his skillset to determine if he fits on a championship-caliber team. Michael Porter Jr., on the other hand, is an athletic, lengthy wing with a scorer’s mentality. He is the type of player the Boston Celtics have targeted in recent drafts (Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) and we are seeing their immediate success.